'Electric vehicle' and 'sports car' no longer an oxymoron

(Relaxnews)

With the upcoming debut of Toyota's FT-86 at the Tokyo Motor Show, beginning October 24, and Audi's recent announcement of production plans for their E-Tron EV, pretty soon drivers who like to protect the environment but appreciate their horsepower won't have to comprise.

Nearly all the remarkable EVs (electric vehicles) that have debuted thus far have been staid compact cars which feature tremendous fuel-efficiency but little driving excitement. California-based Tesla, whose Roadster EV has a base price of more than €74,000, is the only company that currently offers the world a mass-produced EV sports car (via worldwide showrooms and global shipping).

Not many details have been released about Toyota's upcoming FT-86 EV sports car concept, or "Toyobaru", because it was conceived in partnership with Subaru. Information such as horsepower, range and production schedule are expected to be announced at the auto show, but the aggressively-designed car is nearly certain to be featured in Toyota showrooms in the future.

A sports car with definite ambitions is the Audi E-Tron EV, as the German automaker announced October 8 that the car will be put into production and hit the streets within two years.

Exact prices and schedule were not announced, but The E-Tron could become just the second mass-produced all-electric sports car, after having wowed the auto world with its debut at Frankfurt Auto Show last month.

The EV features four electric motors and over 300 horsepower, which is nearly three times the amount of other all-electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi i-MiEV or even the Renault Fluence EV four-door sedan. The car's range is 154 miles (248 kilometers), which is very respectable for an EV, especially one that looks so enticing to drive.

While General Motors pulled the plug on their Lotus-based Dodge Circuit EV sports car, due to their financial difficulties, the age of the EV sports car is just beginning.